The Turn Of Hypothetic Method From The 17～(th) Century To The 19～(th) Century

Hypothetic method is a form in which the physical science theory develops. It is running after scientificalness, prediction and examination, so people accept it broadly. Especially in the 21st century science and technology develops swiftly and violently. People's research range is from microcosmic to the world watches, which have exceeded the range people reach directly by the sense organ and scientific apparatus. The applying of the hypothetic method appears especially urgent and important. But the development of this important method has not been smoothly. It experienced a circuitous course, which was rising in 17th century, decaying in 18th century, reviving in 19th century and establishing in 20th century.Science still did not exist in the period of ancient Greece. Facing the big and powerful nature, human being was only able to depend on conjecture. The black ruling of church made the development of science difficultly in the Middle Ages. Science became the religion servant. The method of hypothesis which is embodying people's free thinking was only able to develop in the lurking period. In 17th century the Renaissance and religious reforms overthrew church's autocracy government. Science started to develop independently. Gaining enormous thought freedom, people began to be geared to the needs of life, resolving reality problem in living. A batch of scientists and philosophers taking Descartes, Locke and Leibniz as representative had discovered the method of hypothesis. They suggested influence thought like clock metaphor and hypothesis probability etc., and brought them into respective ideological system. This promoted the development of the method of hypothesis extremely. It comes into being and develops in 17th century.Hypothetic method began to be on the wane in 18th century. This took Newton's classics declaration as the sign, which is "I do not fabricate the hypothesis ". 18th century was experience science period. Most natural science was developing in initial stage. The main characteristic of this period was collecting material broadly and taking observation and the experiment seriously. Fitting in with each other, the method of mathematics and induction occupied the first position. The method of hypothesis had no proper working post where one can gave full play to one's skills or professional knowledge. This had brought about hypothesis decaying. People followed the example of Newton because whose classical mechanics got enormous success. They flaunted Newton's great successful method. It just produced the effect of having hundreds respond to a single call when the position he praised induction highly and adopted a hostile attitude towards hypothesis once indicated. It was becoming the direct blasting fuse in the reasons of hypothesis's wane. At that time hypothetic method was not improving and perfecting very much, existing a lot of defects. It was outstanding most especially with difficulty choosing between the competing hypotheses. This had become hypothesis's soft rib, which had blocked the development of hypothesis gravely. It became the internal cause in the reasons hypothesis's wane. Meantime, a few people developed hypothetic method was belonging to the methodology self needs. This decided hypothesis's space for development is very limited. Because scientific apparatuses such as microscope and telescope appear, people were confident excessively that we could get a clear understanding of the job mechanism of the nature without a hypothesis. Under circumstance of these internal and external troubles, the hypothesis had been on the wane.The method of hypothesis's decay did not always continue for down. It began to appear from 18th century and 40s. It is complete risorgimento in 19th century. The risorgimento approaches embodied in that the scientist explained the observable phenomenon by assuming various unobservable entities. They used the method of hypotheses broadly. The hypotheticalism has appeared in philosophy. 19th century are called the pure science period. Physical science entered into the stage of theory arranging from the stage of collecting material. People focused on the cause behind the phenomenon. Simple induction could not make an explanation reasonably. Conforming to the need that science developed, hypothetic method had been pushed into the history stage right away. The development of science in 19th century had appeared a new characteristic. The study of science running after pure knowledge was beginning to walk ahead of reality applying. Out of the need of the scientific exploration, people draw support from hypotheses under the situation of not having ready-made theory. In this period, the debate between the corpuscular theory of light and the wave theory of light had resolved. It provided a new methodological criterion for evaluating hypotheses. We can say that the development of science provided both the reality need and the possibility for the risorgimento of the method of hypotheses.Meanwhile, the deduction and induction which people praises highly were decaying in 18th century in different extent. Deduction has encountered a heavy blow because of non-Euclidean. People suspected induction because of the validity of its conclusion. That has lightened resistance for the development of hypotheses, and has created optimum opportunity for risorgimento of hypotheses.People got break-through progress by rereading Newton's thoughts in 19th century. In fact, Newton also used hypotheses. He only opposed fabricating hypothesis. He disliked arousing unnecessary argument because of the using of hypotheses. This new cognition cuted Newton's negative influence to the development of hypotheses. Many Newtonian followers began to accept hypotheses .All that won new support for hypotheses.The risorgimento of the method of hypothesis could not part with the hypotheticalism. This faction represented of Herschel, Whewell and Jevons, had revived the hypothesis that was started by Descartes and some other people from the summary of the modern times physical science which was in the peak period in methodology, and enriches and develops it. They have emphasized hypothesis quality of the science discovery and creativity of putting forward hypothesis; had advocated deducing out a conclusion from the hypothesis determinedly and checking it. The work had improved and perfected the method of hypothesis unceasingly, and had made the method of hypothesis come on the history stage from its low point.There is an intangible baton behind the waxing and waning of the method of hypothesis that is the stage background of the science development. The method of hypothesis will develop when it conforms to the need of development of science; the method of hypothesis will wane when it goes against the need of development of science. The science will alter from day to day in 21st century. As the research field broadens and the research range gets deep unceasingly, the method of hypothesis will definitely become an indispensable implement; and the applying of the method of hypothesis must accelerate the science development, bring about the break-through of the science field.